Xylene Is Now Permissable
Washington D.C.: The herbicide Xylene, which was responsible for the destruction of all aquatic life in a Jocko River canal in July, has been placed on on the "permissable" list of agricultural chemicals by the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA).There is speculation that the move was made to cover the illegal use of the poison in tribal waters.
The inclusion of xylene, long regarded as one of the deadliest of all aquatic weed and moss poisons, on the permissable list would mean that agencies such as the Flathead Irrigation Project (FIP) could use the chemical without approval from EPA. FIP personnel did use the chemical in the Lower J. Canal west of Ravalli on July 3 without EPA consent but the application was illegal and has touched off investigation by the EPA and the Bureau of Indian Affairs and strong protests from the Tribal Council. The illegal use of xylene caused the death of at least 7 00 fish in the canal plus undetermined damage to the lower Jocko River and the Flathead River, (cont. on next page)
Lucy Parker
Has a New Home
Permfi:When a run-away logging truck smashed through their Perma home in August, 71 year old Lucy Parker, her granddaughter Sue Parker and their friend 7 4 year old Mitch Small-Salmon were left out in the gathering cold, i But it now looks as though it won't be such a bad winter after all. The Tribe, the Bureau of Indian Affairs in Ronan and the Indian Health Service in St. Ignatius are putting together a new home for Mrs. Parker. The land is being paid for by the tribe on a long term loan. It is two lots just east of the Perma Store, (cont. on page 8)
Flathead River Water Statement Given
Yellow Bay: A situation statement" on the plans various agencies have for water in the Flathead River drainage is included in this issue of Char-Coo sta.
The statement was comp iled by the Water Resources Division of the Montana Department of Natural Resources and Conservation of public works and other use plans by various federal, state and private agencies. The purpose of the statement, is to oresent these plans to the people living in
the drainage so that they may know what is being considered. The statement also includes a questionnaire which will give the residents of the drainage an opportunity to present their desires.
Several of the plans appearing on the statement directly involve the reservation ....such as a U.S. Corps of Engineers proposal to dredge the mouth of the Flathead Lake at Poison....and all the plans in some way will affect the water of living quality of reser-
vation residents.
There have been several avenues of resident input into the plans for the river. In..ad-dition to the questionnaire there will be workshops involving the planning agencies, state water resources people and residents of the valley who feel they have something to say about the plan or a specific project. These workshops will be held in St. Ignatius, Poison, Whitefish and Kalis-pell on October 15 -16 -17 - and (cont. on page 8'
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THE BI-WEEKLY NEWSPAPER OF THE SALLSR PEND'd ORIELLES AND KOOTENAI TRIBES OF THE FLATHEAD RESERVATION
Volume 3 - Number 11 NEW MOON OF HALF AUTUMN HALF SUMMER
18-Year-Old Vote Election Council
Slated For November 17
Ronan: Tribal member 18 -year-olds will probably not be able to vote in the Devember tribal council elections despite the fact that just about everybody thinks they should.
the problem is the issue of changing the constitution to -allow 18-year-olds the ballot has also brought the long-festering off-reservation vote to a boil.
The Bureau of Indian Affairs Agency in Ronan has re-set the constitutional change election for November 17. The election had been called for Sept. 8, but it was cancelled when the tribal attorneys asked for a review of a new Department of Interior ruling that would permit off-reservation members to vote in secretarial (constitutional change) referendems. It now appears that the new date for the vote will also be cancelled due to a request for judicial review of the off-reservation vote issue by the tribal council.
The attorneys have filed a request for a temporary restraining order against carrying out the election with the Missoula Division Federal District Court and a hearing has been set for Oct. 11.
The Council is not going to all this trou' le to deny 18-year olds the vote ... they have already gone on record as supporting the lower voting age...but they are